


Out of Turn

by TheGoddessOfRegrets



Category: Deltarune (Video Game)
Genre: Abuse, Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Cards, Fluff and Angst, Good Parent Rouxls Kaard, Heavy Angst, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Magic, Parental Rouxls Kaard, Rouxls basically said BITCH, Sad with a Happy Ending, Sadness, gooey rouxls ftw, king spade is a dick, lancer is a sweet boy, lesser dad is better dad, magic related to cards, playing cards, protect lancer 2k18, protective rouxls kaard, rouxls gets drippy when stressed, rouxls kaard is a savior honestly, that's some other guys headcannon and i like it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-17
Updated: 2018-12-17
Packaged: 2019-09-20 08:50:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,516
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17019561
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheGoddessOfRegrets/pseuds/TheGoddessOfRegrets
Summary: One day, Rouxls Kaard walks in on an altercation between Lancer and his dad. A violent altercation...





	Out of Turn

**Author's Note:**

> I'm not going to try to copy Rouxls's way of talking entirely, but I'll attempt a little.

Rouxls couldn't stand it.

He couldn't stand how cruel and heartless the king was towards his own son.

A man's child should be his LIFE! They should be the reason he wakes up every day.

They shouldn't be a burden.

They shouldn't be seen as just an irritation and nothing more. They should be valued.

This is something King Spade did not understand.

Every time Rouxls overheard the conversations between the king and Lancer, tears would start burning his eyes. He could feel, in the air, the phantom sensation of sadness and fear within the king's son.

And he shared it.

Ever since his first day seeing Lancer, Rouxls had come to slowly care for him more and more. In the beginning, he was a nuisance. Then he became a friend. Soon, Rouxls saw the boy as his own, as his responsibility. He would feed the child when his father wouldn't. He would entertain him to keep him happy. He would answer questions, no matter how odd, and he would always have solutions to a problem.

Even if that problem was the king.

Rouxls can deny all he wants about his heart soaring when dear Lancer had given him the title of Lesser Dad, but it would all be for not. Lancer was not HIS child, but Rouxls valued him more than his real father ever did.

Which was why Rouxls's heart fell when the mysterious wounds started appearing.

At first, they were small. Minute wounds that you could pass off as a scrape from falling, which Lancer had the tendency to do, or bruises from bumping into stuff.

Then they became bigger and more frequent.

Rouxls's heart almost burst from terror when Lancer ran to him with a hand-shaped bruise on the side of his face and various scuff marks all over his arms.

Rouxls knew something was wrong. Every part of his body was practically screaming it.

However, Rouxls's mind was split into two sides.

One side, the more obedient side, told him it was nothing and to ignore it. The more fatherly side, the side that had come to love Lancer, told him to do something. Something drastic.

It told him to fight.

And he should have. He should have fought.

If he had, they might not have gotten to where they are now.

The signs of abuse were all there, yet he did the most unfatherly thing he could have done.

He ignored it.

Well, not necessarily ignored it, more like denied it.

He denied what he saw, what was so blatantly thrown at him.

 

And now here they were.

 

It was a seemingly normal day in the Dark world as Rouxls walked aimlessly through the halls leading to the throne area. He was trying to contemplate how to put together more elaborate puzzles.

Ugh, how he hated puzzle making.

" **WHAT DID YOU SAY TO ME?!** "

Rouxls Kaard jumped in fear as the king's raging voice echoed through the building.

Rouxls would have ignored it and continued on if not for what followed. Before he could walk away, Rouxls heard a yelp of pain and an all too familiar whimper.

 

_L-Lancer...?_

 

Rouxls had never run faster in his life.

As he ran, he could feel his body losing form. He was beginning to melt as the fear rushed through him and tore at him from inside.

When he reached the room from where the noise had sounded, his heart stopped.

 

_No..._

 

Right in front of him was a scene so horrifying he could barely breathe. A scene that confirmed all of his fears.

Lancer, the poor, naive, innocent Lancer, was being held by his THROAT nearly four feet from the ground. And the king, his own FATHER, was the one holding him.

"What have I told you about TALKING BACK to me!?" the cruel monarch spat violently.

Lancer whimpered again, breaking the shattered remains of Rouxls's already broken soul. Tears were falling down his and the child's faces.

 

Suddenly, something snapped within Rouxls.

 

Seeing the young heir in such a pained and helpless state broke not only his heart but his tolerance.

He could not stand by and let this happen ANY longer!

With a swift flick of his wrist, playing cards began to soar through the air.

 

"RELEASE THINE SON IMMEDIATELY!" cried out Rouxls in rage.

Confusion made its way onto the king's face as he looked up to face Rouxls.

"Rouxls Kaard? What the hell are you doing here!? I'm busy!"

Rouxls gritted his teeth in anger. He was about to release his attack when-

"L-lesser dad!" shrieked Lancer in panic. "D-don't fight him! He'll hurt you!"

A growl resonated from within King Spade. "Lesser DAD?!"

It was too late by the time Lancer realized his mistake. "D-dad, I-" He was cut off by a sharp, panicked inhale as his father's grip tightened.

"I SAID RELEASE HIM!" Rouxls released his card attack onto the king.

King Spade dropped Lancer to the ground, crying out in shock and pain as various playing cards pierced his body.

"Why you TRAITOROUS **BASTARD**!" shouted the King. Soon, sharpened spades soared to his side, ready to rip apart the foolish Duke of Puzzles.

That's when it hit Rouxls. _This was a really dumb idea._

But it was too late to retreat now.

Rouxls watched as Lancer fled his father and ran to his side, practically begging him not to fight.

Before a word could leave Lancer's mouth, Rouxls muttered a plea.

"Please, young sire," he began. "Run. Run as far as you can! NOW! I'll hold off this monster for as long as I can, but please! Leave this place! QUICKLY!"

Tears were burning his eyes and falling down his face as he said this. The king was mere seconds away from attacking and Rouxls did not wish for Lancer to see this, to see Rouxls be violently defeated and torn apart. He saw a pained look in the child's eyes and knew that, despite the boy's stubbornness, he understood. 

Hugging his Lesser dad's leg one more time, he ran off sobbing into the depths of the castle.

Rouxls inhaled deeply and opened his eyes to face his King. 

 

*REVOLUTION is in the air.

 

_And now, we fight._

* * *

 

_God, everything hurts..._

 

Rouxls could barely walk.

 

Every movement caused immense pain. Even thinking made him wince in agony. He was lucky, if you could call it that, that none of his bones were broken. Every part of his body had tears and scars and cuts all over and blood was seeping into his clothes, staining them possibly for good.

However, in spite of all this, he moved. He forced himself to bear the pain and drag himself away. When the battle had ended and he lay nearly unconscious, he waited for the king's heavy footsteps to stomp away before thinking of moving. He then pulled himself to his feet and began limping away. He held his bleeding sides and tried his best to focus his one clear eye so he wouldn't get lost or fall. His other eye was blinded by blood pouring from a head wound.

Despite these injuries and how scared he knew Lancer would be, he had to move. He had to find him.

After what felt like hours of painfully searching, all while having to avoid the king's gaze, Rouxls heard soft sniffling coming from around a corner. He rounded it and found himself at the entrance of the dungeons. When he looked in, there was the boy.

Curled into the darkest corner at the end of the hall was Lancer, sobbing quietly to himself with his head in his arms.

Silently, Rouxls limped to the young heir's side and gently set a dripping hand on his shoulder. Lancer jumped in fear only to gasp in relief as his vision focused and Rouxls was all he could see.

"LESSER DAD!" cheered the child gleefully. He jumped and hugged the man's legs tightly.

Rouxls winced audibly at the sudden touch, causing Lancer to step back and realize just how beaten he was. Worry washed over Lancer's face instantly.

"L-lesser dad? Are you okay?"

Rouxls helplessly leaned against the wall and slid down it, leaving a trail of blood. "Y-yes, Lancer," he lied calmly. "I-I am alright. H-how do y-you fair?" Speaking made him hurt. 

"I-I'm okay..."

"Good...g-good... M-may I see your neck, young prince?"

Lancer's expression turned to confusion at this request, but nonetheless, he showed Rouxls his neck.

Rouxls's whole being shook with anguish and agony as his gaze settled on the many large bruises forming around the child's throat. More tears started falling before he knew it and he quickly reached out to embrace his unofficial son. He ignored the searing pain.

 

"I'm sorry..." he muttered, tightening his hold. 

 

There were many things Rouxls was apologizing for.

Sorry for not being there, for ignoring the obvious, for letting you down, for waiting so long...

 

_Sorry for not being a father..._

 

Despite not knowing what Rouxls was implying, Lancer hugged him back happily.

"It's okay, Lesser Dad!"

 

It's okay?

 

 

 

_It's okay..._

**Author's Note:**

> Protective fatherly Rouxls Kaard makes my life worth living, honestly.


End file.
